New Year's Eve, 1964
by nic98ole
Summary: Kendall has something he wants to tell Carlos on their first New Year's Eve together. From 'The Nicest Kids in Town', Kenlos with mentions of Jagan.


_Yeah, this week is New Year's Eve and I want to get this out of the way right now since I don't even think I'll be in town for New Year's Eve. And you guys should **probably**_ _read The Nicest Kids in Town before reading this in order to understand Kendall and Carlos' storyline beforehand. I mean, you don't have to but I'm sure there are some parts that will get you confused if you don't read the sequel this one-shot spun off of. And it's pushed back to one more year, 1964, since apparently New Year's Eve 1963 suffered a bad snowstorm and that is no way romantic. Well, hope you all enjoy this little one-shot._

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><p>The view was nice but it wasn't in the crowd of people below them that were pushing around, dancing, growing excited to wait for the ball to drop. Carlos clung onto the railing as he stepped out to peer over the edge, everyone looked like tiny ants in the streets of New York City and he felt his nose just tickling from the ice cold air of the night. Carlos felt hands slide onto his waist, a chin resting atop his head and he couldn't help but smile at the warm embrace.<p>

"Do you like it?" he heard Kendall ask softly in his ear and Carlos turned.

"I love it," he said with a big smile and wrapped arms around Kendall's body to hug the blond properly. Kendall smiled, kissing Carlos' hair and glancing out the window at the sight. New Year's Eve, 1964. To say that this year was the hard wouldn't be too far from the truth. They had to deal with the fact that James and Logan were now going off together and that Kendall and Carlos were going to be separated from their friends as well. Of course, they promised that they'll try to visit each other but it was difficult with the fact that Kendall could only afford one car that couldn't possibly make the drive from New York to California more than once and the pairs settled on long distance calls and postcards.

From the sounds of things, James was doing great on the show. Kendall and Carlos make sure to watch it every single Saturday evening and then try to call the couple and give their congratulations and comments. Logan was doing fine in medical school and Robert liked living down in Southern California a lot more than living up north. Course, he always had to go back up there to spend time with his mother but the boy made sure that if his father was sending anything out to Kendall or Carlos that he'd also sent a homemade drawing to his two 'uncles' as well.

And when Kendall was looking for the newest postcard from the two brunettes, he found a letter notifying him to serve his country in the Vietnam War. Carlos was in college, studying to be a mechanic. Kendall wasn't, he was just working and trying to keep money flowing for both of them to survive. He was able to avoid it, claiming on the fact that he was homosexual and luckily was able to get off. Though, there was always that fear that they'll come for Carlos next and Carlos wanted to fight in hopes of bringing the war to an end. Kendall had to say that Carlos' ideals grew as he was in New York, grew even more to wanting to fight against both the Vietnam War along with the segregation and discrimination against those colored folks and Latinos.

Still so naïve, even when he was 22.

Carlos stood on his tip toes, leaning up to try and kiss Kendall on the lips but Kendall pulled back.

"No, we need to wait until midnight," Kendall said with a smile and Carlos pouted.

"But it's close, we have fifteen more minutes," Carlos replied and Kendall sighed, resting his forehead against Carlos'.

"I know but. . .I have something special for you when the clock starts counting down to zero," Kendall replied and Carlos cocked his head to the side.

"Something like what?" he asked and Kendall gave a soft smile.

"You'll see," Kendall replied and kissed Carlos' forehead. He pulled away, walking over into the living room and Carlos followed after him as Kendall sat down on the old green sofa they had. The apartment might not have been the dream home that Kendall hoped he could provide for Carlos and himself but the Latino was happy as long as he was with Kendall. It didn't matter where he was as long as he was close by Kendall. Seven years they were separated and Carlos wasn't looking to be gone from Kendall any more longer than that.

"What do you think it'll be like?" Carlos asked and Kendall quirked an eyebrow.

"What?"

"The new year," Carlos said, pulling his legs up to his chest. "Do you think it'll be good? Better than this year?"

"Well, that's what we always hope for. That things just get better," Kendall replied with a sigh and glanced at the clock. 11:50, ten more minutes. The little box in his pocket felt like it was a rock now and Kendall could feel his heart beating in slight nerves.

"Do you think things will get better for us?"

"I'm sure it will. I'll get a better job and we can be able to have more money and you'll be doing great in your studies-"

"I didn't mean that," Carlos said and Kendall looked at his boyfriend confused, "I mean. . .for us being homosexuals. Do you think the new year will be better for us?. . .That maybe next year they'll start to accept us?"

Kendall fell silent at that, seeing that hopefully sad look in Carlos' eyes. This year marked the first year that Kendall and Carlos saw the hate, when Carlos reached out to hold onto Kendall's hand to keep from being separated in the New York crowd and then afterwards held onto the blond tight. It was a couple of men, college age like they were that shouted out 'Hey ya fags! San Francisco's out west!'. Carlos broke away at the jeers, Kendall quickly grabbing one of them and throwing him against the wall to give a threatening glare and low growl in his throat that scared them off. His blood was boiling and he was angry, he was even more angry when the two of them got home and Carlos began to cry from being humiliated like that, with Kendall spending the night consoling him.

Now, Kendall sighed and opened his arms for Carlos to crawl over and rest in his grasp.

"I don't know, Carlos. . .if they don't, then there isn't anything we can do about it-"

"Yes there is!" Carlos shouted, breaking out of Kendall's grasp, "We can fight it! Organize marches and demand to be treated like everyone else!"

"Like those civil rights marches we see on TV?"

"Yes! We organize and have homosexual men and women march. And those that support us too march. They wouldn't ignore that, they'd know we're going to start to fight back and we're not going to take this kind of abuse anymore," Carlos replied and Kendall pulled the younger male back into his grasp. Carlos turned his body, head rested on Kendall's chest to look up at the blond with wide brown eyes, "I know we can make a change if we just stand up and try. There needs to be a lot of change right now, change for people like you and me, like Kelly-"

"Carlos, do you _know _what they are doing to them?" Kendall asked, thinking on the African-American woman that Carlos had the pleasure to befriending and Kendall had met on more than one occasion. She was intelligent, far intelligent and could do anything if she put her mind to it. There was just one thing that was getting in the way of that, two things actually. The color of her skin and the other fact that she wasn't a man, but a woman. Carlos glanced down, there were so many cases and talk of those that were kidnapped to find their bodies mutilated and discarded in some obscure place and all bodies African-Americans. It sickened Kendall, it made him worry when Carlos told him he was going to a march, fear that someone might decide to take him. Maybe that was why 1964 was the hardest year for Kendall, there were too many things threatening to take Carlos away from him.

"I know what they're doing and you and I both know we need to fight this. There's power in numbers, Kendall. And we don't have to use force or anything because that's just what they want, a reason to hurt us."

"'Don't use force', that's never going to work. They'll just think you're weak and they'll try and hurt you that way."

"Then they'll be seen as monsters."

"They don't _care _if they look like the bad guys."

"Kendall-" Carlos began but then turned at the sound of loud noise from the window. Kendall glanced at the clock, one more minute til midnight. Carlos jumped up, grabbing Kendall by the hand and pulling the blond onto his feet and rushing him over to the window to see the view. People were cheering and making a ruckus as the clock slowly began to tick away the minute. And Kendall felt the small box in his pocket, giving a small gulp and giving the hand that he was holding a small squeeze. Carlos turned to look at him, eyes bright. "We're going to see the ball drop! Do you think next year we can be down there with everyone else?"

"Of course, Carlos," Kendall replied and Carlos smiled bright. Kendall sucked in a breath, "Carlos?"

"Yes?"

". . .I love you, so much."

Carlos blushed, "I love you too, Kendall."

"And I know you want change. I know you want us to be accepted and to be able to hold my hand without people looking funny at us or criticizing us but I don't see it happening anytime soon, no matter how many marches and protests and peaceful acts you do."

"Kendall-"

"Just wait, just wait. . .but I love you and that's one thing they can never deny and say isn't true. I want us to be together. . .I want to marry you."

Carlos' eyes widened at the words. "M-Marry? But we can't-"

"I know we can't and it makes me mad that we possibly won't ever be able to. But I want to marry you, I want you to be my husband. . .I want you to wear this," Kendall said softly and got down on one knee as he dug into his pocket and pulled out the jewelry box. Carlos' hands went to cover his mouth, surprise over his face as the people were counting down from 32 seconds. "I want you to wear this and know that in your heart, in _my _heart. . .we're married. I want you to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer or poorer, for better and for worse, to love and to cherish in sickness and in health until death do we part. I love you, Carlos Garcia and no person is going to tell me otherwise. . .what do you say?"

Carlos gave a little laugh, feeling his eyes watering. The people were counting down from 18 seconds now and he felt his heart beating so fast.

"If you're going to propose to 'marry' me, you need to say it right," Carlos said with a smile and Kendall smiled as well, opening the jewelry box and showing the silver wedding band. It was simple, small engraving on the edges but it just looked so beautiful and Carlos felt himself beginning to smile harder. Kendall looked up at him, green eyes bright from the lights of Time Square.

"Carlos Garcia, will you 'marry' me?"

_Ten!_

"Of course I will," Carlos said, cheeks red and eyes shinning as bright as Kendall's.

_Nine!_

Kendall took his hand, the ring sliding onto the finger delicately and gentle.

_Eight!_

The blond stood up, hands wrapping around Carlos' waist.

_Seven!_

Carlos hugged Kendall tight, heart thudding. Mr. Carlos Knight? It sounded so nice.

_Six!_

He looked up, Kendall was smiling at him. Smiling at his husband even though no one else will acknowledge it.

_Five!_

Carlos began to lean upwards, eyes fluttering closed and lips puckered.

_Four!_

He felt Kendall's breath on his lips, warm and loving before closing the distance.

_Three!_

The kiss was so soft and Carlos felt his heart thudding, parting lips to allow Kendall's tongue to poke through and explore the warmth of Carlos' mouth.

_Two!_

1964 was so gone now, all of the problems were gone now that he was in the blond's arms

_One!_

Carlos pulled away, looking as the ball finally finished falling and the clock reached zero. People were shouting and screaming out cheers as the new year was here. 1965 was here, 1964 was gone. Carlos looked up, hugging Kendall and resting his chin on Kendall's chest.

"Happy New Year, Kendall."

"Happy New Year, Mr. Knight," Kendall whispered before capturing Carlos' lips again in a more passionate kiss.


End file.
